A [[Jargon_Buster#Merchant|merchant]] (retailer), sometimes referred to as an 'advertiser', is an online company which sells its products and/or services through an publisher network. The advertiser will pay either a percentage or set amount of commission once a certain action (in most cases, a sale) has completed.

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An [[Jargon_Buster#Advertiser|advertiser]] (retailer), sometimes referred to as a 'merchant', is an online company which sells its products and/or services through a publisher network. The advertiser will pay either a percentage or set amount of commission once a certain action (in most cases, a sale) has completed.

To find out more information on our [[Jargon_Buster#Advertiser|advertiser]] commission rates - please visit [[Advertiser Directory]] in the interface.

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If you are not signed up to the Affiliate Window network, a full listing of our advertisers by category is available in our advertiser directory at http://www.affiliatewindow.com/merchant_directory.php

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If you are not signed up to the Awin network, a full listing of our advertisers by category is available in our advertiser directory at http://www.awin.com/merchant_directory.php

==What is a Publisher?==

==What is a Publisher?==

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An publisher is the owner or manager of a website (also referred to as a 'publisher' or 'partner').

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A publisher is the owner or manager of a website (also referred to as an 'affiliate' or 'partner').

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They are rewarded commission when a visitor to their site clicks an publisher link, (for example, a banner, logo or text link), goes to a particular advertiser's website and performs a certain action of the advertiser's site. Usually, this is completing a transaction. However some advertisers ask publisher s to refer them traffic that results in a lead instead of a sale, perhaps through the completion of an online application form, or the submission of the user's email address.

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They are rewarded commission when a visitor to their site clicks a publisher link, (for example, a banner, logo or text link), goes to a particular advertiser's website and performs a certain action on the advertiser's site. Usually, this is completing a transaction. However some advertisers ask publishers to refer them traffic that results in a lead instead of a sale, perhaps through the completion of an online application form, or the submission of the user's email address.

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Please [[Signing Up As An Affiliate|click here]] to see a full guide to signing up as an publisher .

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Please [[Signing Up As An Affiliate|click here]] to see a full guide to signing up as a publisher .

In short:

In short:

* A advertiser is someone who has a product to sell

* A advertiser is someone who has a product to sell

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* An publisher is someone who advertises products

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* A publisher is someone who advertises products

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==What Kind of Affiliate am I?==

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==What Kind of Publisher am I?==

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===True Content===

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[[Types_of_Affiliates#Content_Sites|True Content]] sites are generally informative sites that focus on a single, specific area and produce original copy through which they promote advertisers in the same area. An example might be a fan site dedicated to particular place, person or hobby.

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== '''Content''' ==

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===Communities===

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===Cashback===

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There are a number of sites that can be categorised as community sites. Amongst these are blogs, forums and fan communities, and social networks. [[Types_of_Affiliates#Blogs_and_Forums|Forums]] are interactive sites where internet users go to discuss topics on a common theme. A 'blog' is short for 'weblog', and is basically an online journal. Social Networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are online communities where members open their own profiles through which they can share information in various media (such as photos, videos) as well as some personal information, all via a single website.

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[[Types_of_Affiliates#Cashback_and_Reward_Sites|Cashback]]

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publishers have a member base that earns monetary rebates from online purchases.

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===Price and Product Comparison===

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===Communities & UGC===

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[[Types_of_Affiliates#Shopping_Portals.2FDirectories|Price and product comparison]] publisher s offer visitors to their sites the ability to compare different products, usually from different advertisers and across different sectors. Many publisher s use Affiliate Window's ShopWindow toolset which utilises advertisers' datafeeds to enable publisher s to embed price and product comparison capabilities on their sites.

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[[Types_of_Affiliates#Blogs_and_Forums|Community]] publishers host online environments where groups of people interact together with publisher links included where appropriate.

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===Voucher Codes===

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===Comparison Engine===

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[[Types_of_Affiliates#Voucher.2FDiscount_Code_Sites|Voucher code]] or discount code sites are directories of discounts, offers and vouchers provided by retailers for the products or services they sell.

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[[Types_of_Affiliates#Shopping_Portals.2FDirectories|Comparison]] publisher sites compare the prices and features of searched-for products available through a number of online stores.

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===E-mail Marketing===

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===Discount Codes===

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E-mail marketing publisher s collect e-mail addresses of members of the public and use these to market advertisers' products or services. Such publisher s will usually collect information about the owners of the email addresses, such as their age, location, interests or hobbies, which they can then use to segment their databases so as to only email certain groups with certain offers. To guard against spam, Affiliate Window asks that all publisher s marketing in this way ensure the data they collect has been double opted-in and that people receiving email marketing materials always have a link in the email they can click to unsubscribe.

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[[Types_of_Affiliates#Voucher.2FDiscount_Code_Sites|Discount code]]

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websites list discounts, coupon codes and other deals which may be redeemed at advertiser websites or stores.

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===Cashback, Loyalty and Reward===

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===Editorial Content===

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[[Types_of_Affiliates#Cashback_and_Reward_Sites|Cashback]] sites are those where the publisher rewards members of their site by paying them either part of all of the commission received from the advertiser. [[Types_of_Affiliates#Cashback_and_Reward_Sites|Reward]] publisher s do not award their members cash but points which can then be redeemed for goods or services. Loyalty publisher s offer their members rewards based on the amount of online transactions they make through their sites. The incentive that cashback, loyalty and reward publisher s offer is financed from the commission earned from the advertiser, and so it is the cashback or reward site rather than the advertiser that offers the incentive to the member to make a purchase. Cashback, loyalty and reward sites can be open to all, or only to members of a [[Types_of_Affiliates#Corporate_Intranets|Corporate Intranet]], which might receive specific incentives based on the employee's links to the organisation in question, or on the basis of the demographics they represent.

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[[Types_of_Affiliates#Content_Sites|Editorial Content]]

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publishers write editorial content to engage an audience on a specific topic with publisher links included where appropriate.

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===Pay Per Click (PPC)===

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===Lead Generation (Content)===

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Lead based publishers generate prospective consumer interest or enquiries into products or services for advertisers via websites.

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===Loyalty===

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[[Types_of_Affiliates#Cashback_and_Reward_Sites|Loyalty]] publishers have a member base that earns non-monetary rebates such as points, miles and tokens from online purchases.

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===Media Content===

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Media Content publishers will produce video, music and pictures with publisher links included where appropriate.

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===Shopping Directory===

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Shopping directory publishers list business information such as sector, website and store description for numerous advertisers.

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===Bloggers & Social Content===

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Bloggers and social content publishers are active in driving traffic through personally opinionated content blogs and/or social media platforms.

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===Virtual Incentives===

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Virtual incentive publishers encourage their audience to take up advertiser offers in return for in-game rewards such as virtual currency, bonuses and power-ups.

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== '''Display''' ==

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===Ad Networks===

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A publisher who buys ad space on numerous websites (creating a network) with the intention of serving advertiser creative across this network of sites.

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===Contextual Targeting===

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Publishers who display advertising relevant to the content of the web page the user is browsing.

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===Direct Traffic===

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A publisher that displays creative to their audience in the form of banners, pop-ups and exit traffic adverts.

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===Media Brokers===

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A publisher who buys exit traffic and pop under opportunities from website owners.

Behavioural retargeting displays personalised advertising on third party websites to customers who have previously visited the advertiser's site, specifically displaying products in which they have shown recent interest.

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===Social Traffic===

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Social networking publishers purchase display inventory on social networks.

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===Sub Networks===

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A collection of publishers owned by numerous third parties brought together and being seen to operate as one single publisher.

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== '''Email''' ==

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===Lead Generation (Email)===

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Lead based email publishers generate prospective consumer interest or enquiries into products or services for advertisers via email.

Email retargeting generates a personalised email for customers who have exited the advertiser's site during the checkout process. The email will only reference the product(s) that were abandoned.

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== '''Search''' ==

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===Direct Linking===

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Publishers that navigate the user from 'search engine results' to the 'advertiser's website' with absolutely no other interim stages.

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===Domain Parking===

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Domain parking is the registration of an Internet domain name with a distinct absence of content. Publishers who own these domains, often populate the associated landing pages with paid search adverts.

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===Linking via Landing Pages===

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Publishers that navigate the user from 'search engine results' to the 'advertiser's website' with at least one interim stage (usually a landing page).

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===Mobile Search===

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Publishers that run search advertising campaigns that navigate the user from 'search engine results' on a mobile device (such as a smart phone) to the 'advertiser's website'.

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===Social Search===

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Publishers that run search advertising campaigns which navigate the user from 'social media websites' to the 'advertiser's website'.

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[[Jargon_Buster#PPC|PPC]] stands for Pay Per Click. Affiliates working through this method will pay for listing in a search engine such as Google, Bing or Yahoo by bidding on certain keywords which relate to their site or the advertisers they are promoting. When a visitor to a search engine enters a search query that matches one of these keywords the publisher 's ad will display and the publisher will pay for each click the ad receives. The cost of displaying such ads is funded through the commissions earned when traffic is directed through PPC results in a sale for an advertiser.

==How do I get traffic to my site?==

==How do I get traffic to my site?==

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===PPC===

===PPC===

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[[Jargon_Buster#PPC|Pay per click]] involves paying a search engine every time a user clicks on a link that to visit either an advertiser's website or your own website. You will typically bid on keyword phrases relevant to your target market to ensure that you only pay when you believe there is a chance of a sale.

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[[Jargon_Buster#PPC|Pay per click]] involves paying a search engine every time a user clicks on a link to visit either an advertiser's website or your own website. You will typically bid on keyword phrases relevant to your target market to ensure that you only pay when you believe there is a chance of a sale.

When a user types a keyword query matching your keyword list, your advertisement may be displayed. These advertisements are called sponsored links or sponsored ads, and appear adjacent to or above the 'natural' or organic results on search engine results pages. Content websites commonly charge a fixed price for a click.

When a user types a keyword query matching your keyword list, your advertisement may be displayed. These advertisements are called sponsored links or sponsored ads, and appear adjacent to or above the 'natural' or organic results on search engine results pages. Content websites commonly charge a fixed price for a click.

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==How does Affiliate Window track sales?==

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==How does Awin track sales?==

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'''AW tracks all sales made using AW publisher links by using cookies.'''

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'''Awin tracks all sales made using Awin publisher links by using cookies.'''

'''The tracking process:'''

'''The tracking process:'''

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1. The user (customer) visits an publisher website

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1. The User (most likely a customer) visits a Publisher website

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2. The user clicks through from the publisher website to the advertiser website

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2. The User clicks through from the Publisher, via the Network (Awin), to the Advertiser website

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3. AW drop a cookie on the user’s personal computer (PC) to show the user has visited the publisher website and clicked on an publisher link

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3. The Network records the click and drops a tracking cookie on the User's device

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4. The user is directed to the advertiser website and AW drop another cookie from the advertiser's domain

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4. The User is re-directed to the Advertiser website and, if applicable, the Network subsequently drops one or more tracking cookies from the advertiser's domain onto the User's device

7. AW link the advertiser tracking with the previous cookies dropped on the user’s PC

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7. The Network links the Advertiser conversion request with the previously dropped tracking cookies present on the User's device

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8. Information is passed to AW in the tracking tag, allowing AW to record the sale (this information includes the advertiser ID, referring publisher ID, order reference number, sale value and commission groups (if applicable))

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8. Information is passed to the Network, allowing Awin to record the sale; this information for example includes the Advertiser ID, the last click referring Publisher ID (from cookie(s)), unique order reference, total sale amount and the commission group breakdown

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9. AW's system allocates the correct commission based on the information passed in the tracking tag and the pre-defined reward set by the advertiser (either a set amount per tranaction or a percentage of the sale value)

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9. The Network allocates the correct commission based on the information passed in the conversion request and the pre-defined reward set by the Advertiser (Either a set amount per transaction or a percentage of the total sale amount)

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10. Commissions are either approved or declined by the advertiser dependent on the order being fulfilled

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10. Commissions are either approved or declined by the Advertiser dependent on the order being fulfilled

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11. Affiliates can see these commissions in their AW interface

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11. Publishers can see these commissions in the Network's interface

'''Notes on point 3:'''

'''Notes on point 3:'''

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The cookie which is dropped is referred by the Affiliate Window system and is stored on the Affiliate Window domain. This would be considered a third party cookie from an advertiser’s perspective.

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The cookie which is dropped is referred by Awin and is stored on the Network's domain. This would be considered a third party cookie from an Advertiser's perspective.

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There are three kinds of links a user could click on to move from an publisher site.

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There are three kinds of links a user could click on to move from a publisher site.

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1) A text link. This would be an AW link behind a hyperlink in some text on the publisher site.

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1) A text link. This would be an Awin link behind a hyperlink in some text on the publisher site.

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2) A banner. This would be an AW link behind an advertiser banner or logo on the publisher site.

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2) A banner. This would be an Awin link behind an advertiser banner or logo on the publisher site.

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3) A product feed. This is when an publisher uses a data-feed from an advertiser to display particular products on their publisher site, in conjunction with AW’s ShopWindow tool. There is an AW link behind each one of these products.

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3) A product feed. This is when a publisher uses a data-feed from an advertiser to display particular products on their publisher site. There is an Awin link behind each one of these products.

'''Notes on point 4:'''

'''Notes on point 4:'''

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'''Notes on point 5:'''

'''Notes on point 5:'''

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A sale is only tracked if it is completed. This means that the user has to submit all information and payment details required by the advertiser and reach the advertiser ‘confirmation page’ before it will be tracked as a sale and an publisher paid commission. If a user leaves the transaction part-way through the payment process the sale will not be tracked and the publisher will receive no commission.

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A sale is only tracked if it is completed. This means that the user has to submit all information and payment details required by the advertiser and reach the advertiser ‘confirmation page’ before it will be tracked as a sale and a publisher paid commission. If a user leaves the transaction part-way through the payment process the sale will not be tracked and the publisher will receive no commission.

'''Notes on point 6:'''

'''Notes on point 6:'''

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When an advertiser starts to work with Affiliate Window, they implement AW tracking on their site, so that AW can match this information to the information stored in the publisher links, and in the cookies dropped on the user’s PC.

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When an advertiser starts to work with Awin, they implement Awin tracking on their site, so that Awin can match this information to the information stored in the publisher links, and in the cookies dropped on the user’s PC.

'''Notes on point 7:'''

'''Notes on point 7:'''

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Affiliate Window tracks sales on a ‘last referrer’ basis. This means that if a user visits two publisher sites before purchasing something from an advertiser, the last publisher site they visit will receive the commission.

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Awin tracks sales on a ‘last referrer’ basis. This means that if a user visits two publisher sites before purchasing something from an advertiser, the last publisher site they visit will receive the commission.

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If both publisher s are using AW links, AW will overwrite the first cookie with a second one to show that the second publisher should receive the commission. This means there will only ever be one AW cookie per transaction per advertiser on a user’s PC.

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If both publishers are using Awin links, Awin will overwrite the first cookie with a second one to show that the second publisher should receive the commission. This means there will only ever be one AW cookie per transaction per advertiser on a user’s PC.

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If one publisher is using AW links and the other publisher is using links for a different publisher network, the advertiser should provide data to AW and the other network to show which publisher should receive the commission. This process is called ‘de-duplication’.

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If one publisher is using Awin links and the other publisher is using links for a different publisher network, the advertiser should provide data to Awin and the other network to show which publisher should receive the commission. This process is called ‘de-duplication’.

Frequently Asked Questions by Publishers, for Publishers - Admin

What is an Advertiser?

An advertiser (retailer), sometimes referred to as a 'merchant', is an online company which sells its products and/or services through a publisher network. The advertiser will pay either a percentage or set amount of commission once a certain action (in most cases, a sale) has completed.

What is a Publisher?

A publisher is the owner or manager of a website (also referred to as an 'affiliate' or 'partner').

They are rewarded commission when a visitor to their site clicks a publisher link, (for example, a banner, logo or text link), goes to a particular advertiser's website and performs a certain action on the advertiser's site. Usually, this is completing a transaction. However some advertisers ask publishers to refer them traffic that results in a lead instead of a sale, perhaps through the completion of an online application form, or the submission of the user's email address.

Mobile Traffic

Retargeting (Display)

Behavioural retargeting displays personalised advertising on third party websites to customers who have previously visited the advertiser's site, specifically displaying products in which they have shown recent interest.

Social Traffic

Social networking publishers purchase display inventory on social networks.

Sub Networks

A collection of publishers owned by numerous third parties brought together and being seen to operate as one single publisher.

Email

Lead Generation (Email)

Lead based email publishers generate prospective consumer interest or enquiries into products or services for advertisers via email.

Newsletters

Retargeting (Email)

Email retargeting generates a personalised email for customers who have exited the advertiser's site during the checkout process. The email will only reference the product(s) that were abandoned.

Search

Direct Linking

Publishers that navigate the user from 'search engine results' to the 'advertiser's website' with absolutely no other interim stages.

Domain Parking

Domain parking is the registration of an Internet domain name with a distinct absence of content. Publishers who own these domains, often populate the associated landing pages with paid search adverts.

Linking via Landing Pages

Publishers that navigate the user from 'search engine results' to the 'advertiser's website' with at least one interim stage (usually a landing page).

Mobile Search

Publishers that run search advertising campaigns that navigate the user from 'search engine results' on a mobile device (such as a smart phone) to the 'advertiser's website'.

Social Search

Publishers that run search advertising campaigns which navigate the user from 'social media websites' to the 'advertiser's website'.

How do I get traffic to my site?

There are two main ways to get traffic to your site: SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and PPC (Pay per click)

SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via 'natural' (or 'organic') search results. The higher a site or page is listed or 'ranked', the more visible it will be as well as more relevant to the user. This can increase the volume and quality of traffic to your site.

In order to improve the ranking of your site you need to consider how search engines work and what people search for. Optimising your website will therefore involve editing and improving content in order to improve its natural search listings

PPC

Pay per click involves paying a search engine every time a user clicks on a link to visit either an advertiser's website or your own website. You will typically bid on keyword phrases relevant to your target market to ensure that you only pay when you believe there is a chance of a sale.

When a user types a keyword query matching your keyword list, your advertisement may be displayed. These advertisements are called sponsored links or sponsored ads, and appear adjacent to or above the 'natural' or organic results on search engine results pages. Content websites commonly charge a fixed price for a click.

How does Awin track sales?

Awin tracks all sales made using Awin publisher links by using cookies.

The tracking process:

1. The User (most likely a customer) visits a Publisher website

2. The User clicks through from the Publisher, via the Network (Awin), to the Advertiser website

3. The Network records the click and drops a tracking cookie on the User's device

4. The User is re-directed to the Advertiser website and, if applicable, the Network subsequently drops one or more tracking cookies from the advertiser's domain onto the User's device

7. The Network links the Advertiser conversion request with the previously dropped tracking cookies present on the User's device

8. Information is passed to the Network, allowing Awin to record the sale; this information for example includes the Advertiser ID, the last click referring Publisher ID (from cookie(s)), unique order reference, total sale amount and the commission group breakdown

9. The Network allocates the correct commission based on the information passed in the conversion request and the pre-defined reward set by the Advertiser (Either a set amount per transaction or a percentage of the total sale amount)

10. Commissions are either approved or declined by the Advertiser dependent on the order being fulfilled

11. Publishers can see these commissions in the Network's interface

Notes on point 3:

The cookie which is dropped is referred by Awin and is stored on the Network's domain. This would be considered a third party cookie from an Advertiser's perspective.

There are three kinds of links a user could click on to move from a publisher site.

1) A text link. This would be an Awin link behind a hyperlink in some text on the publisher site.

2) A banner. This would be an Awin link behind an advertiser banner or logo on the publisher site.

3) A product feed. This is when a publisher uses a data-feed from an advertiser to display particular products on their publisher site. There is an Awin link behind each one of these products.

Notes on point 4:

The advertiser would have already added a small script onto all pages which will allow for our system to send through a unique variable to then be stored on the domain URL. This would be considered a first party cookie from an advertiser’s perspective.

Notes on point 5:

A sale is only tracked if it is completed. This means that the user has to submit all information and payment details required by the advertiser and reach the advertiser ‘confirmation page’ before it will be tracked as a sale and a publisher paid commission. If a user leaves the transaction part-way through the payment process the sale will not be tracked and the publisher will receive no commission.

Notes on point 6:

When an advertiser starts to work with Awin, they implement Awin tracking on their site, so that Awin can match this information to the information stored in the publisher links, and in the cookies dropped on the user’s PC.

Notes on point 7:

Awin tracks sales on a ‘last referrer’ basis. This means that if a user visits two publisher sites before purchasing something from an advertiser, the last publisher site they visit will receive the commission.

If both publishers are using Awin links, Awin will overwrite the first cookie with a second one to show that the second publisher should receive the commission. This means there will only ever be one AW cookie per transaction per advertiser on a user’s PC.

If one publisher is using Awin links and the other publisher is using links for a different publisher network, the advertiser should provide data to Awin and the other network to show which publisher should receive the commission. This process is called ‘de-duplication’.

Privacy

Due to new European legislation regarding how websites store information about you, AWIN is updating its privacy policy. You can see the new version of our policy here. If you would like to see the information we capture on this website, please click here for further details. In order to accept cookies on this site please click the 'I ACCEPT' button